The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-09-11
an OLD SALT's GIFTS.


u
looking old salt, on board the Oceanic Steam
ship Company's boat, In which came down
from San Francisco. I saw him first put
tering about the deck. polishing up the
brass work. splicing rope or two. and
conducting those other little offices which
are a part OF the able eeaman's compara-
lively easy duties In these days OF vcs-
sells driven by teakettles, and started and
checked by man at the end OF lever. This
worthy man was short and thick, with the bow
In the legs and the crook In the fingers which
are characteristic OF men who walk
much upon rolling decks, and haul
at haliiards. Hs face was wrinklPd.
brown. and lenthery, like an apple which ono
finds clinging to some bouRh In spring time.
alter enduring winter Of buneting storms;
his eyebrows, heavy anu projecting. over keen.
deep-sunken eyes, were like the gray lichens
that cling to the swamp oak. and around his
cheeks and under his throat extended fringe
OF uingy white beard, out OF which his face
looked as from tLlcket. Some sixty winters
had laid their fingers In his hair ayd made
their marks upon his lace; yet he was rs
healthy. joviai-iookinK an old party as one
would wish TO sec. and rolled his quid
and spat TO leeward ia intervals OF his
work In way that showed his
enjoyment Of tobacco, as well rs the other good
things Of lie that came to Ills share
1 passVu u word or Iwo wiIn tnis worthy man.
and. ialer III tho day, as MIS- labor lor the time
beinx uune, sat upon lie neel oi tie bow
bpiit anu puneu u contemplation pipe, ap-
prUacueu " Nayo eOnlo lurtuor conveipo WIN
niiii. Ine ghs VA suou CIGAR WAC aueeptuu
W,tu Il uoop InanA .. ola, ai,or ~nivh nau
Inc pioeouie "a evollIA tuo pilliie Aia'sn1
cIunAptvu up anu Ciowueu iAto sno ptLc, wheio
IL t..uou iSo Ansor W .iio uiSotiio previously
uctositvu Wy Tue cvneuiIptivn vi nissor-
mead anu V,iiei lam eoni.,oai,ions. nUuv'of,
tuo siiL Aau .iiv oucet Va opohliis ny Lib ueait,
anu vv.an W .aiA Vui.e iIeeiy oi ninioeii
niiu uls "a ioi lonceo. he Was, ao nau eub-
peu .su. d NOV LIiSianu man, DvIn, as hv saiu,
uuoWn enIIVsL w Tie vary plnt CApe
Cou," and huu All ms ille uecn seainrer.
. iUuS u.O XIII relLeinper, lac said, !
usoter " Hvut llsliin long y uau, and LlHe-
him Was my oiuer Dro.her; uiowndeu. he
Was. on the i.ace. nish Pro,incetaown, Whine
a-couuin III Ills dUry. ketcleu III sou -wesLer
n swauipeu, Ike mighty .uoL lot . others In
thai pace. Koou taown. that. now. an b
gosh, should iiAe " SEQ her meetln' house
spires agin, as we useter SEQ EN-, a-cOmln in
from our mack daown ter
the Provinces. 1 never shall. though. l
GUESS TIL, .hs os s ssla Sn' Flip sssS
Mhsas SItn an Ssr in
r tsys n Wal" .a yoS oa es for an BY
III ga taown, and see eyerythin' that's s.soin'
sony. as heerd a Teller say oncet-La!in, or
some other seeh lingo, he said twuz Wall. |
s'pe. % ye or would an don't give darn whether
aSspe Colder: an. Knows, II about Il an, hen
taoWn an long shore know baout It or NOT.
called ss had Ss5n know t0 ks
en- was This; WIZ ID a l1ship' On the GEORGE,
went down Inter the cabin ter bunk in an
ss So ssg sRnder
queer, an there l wuz. a;standin' up in the
corner Of ths cabin lie a. ;,oI IwSz half
funny-en' in a minute Thought twuz fnnnier.
fur, MS l looked at the bunk, seen myself
rsi s
s;Yslkin' sIsout On az bottom, in twenty
Was n-nsnin', over the side. There WIZ the
lines. an tho boat .a-rollin' on tie !sh an me
IN seed eysry s sy the sers
water, an got Ter the bunk an my body got up,
minimize. d'f the ~ eers o WaH When 1 told each
ono on EN- what fish they'd ketched an haow
that Gus e. he us se on aer that
professor in boston. a big seer he wuz, a. |
and oven things ss hadn't VT TUX place: An, II
Kinder luck we wuz soin, ter hev~en' Icould
most nlluz toll em purity nigh tcrrect. 30; the
nothin until Bill..that's me-hed he'd one O
his dreams: An 2 GURUS thing w9H that.
's the; aa If .sf
sS sa Ssss r. iueT YOU'D Is.t & ,ss TIM
We hsd g purity ' good ssi luck an ivory onees IN
what W.. nss soin I'M tor happen coadn s ordsr
these Sre dreams. - SOC. but every naow an
then they'd come. whether or no. An ono
ssys says he oe
ltheX'd got tor callIn' me jeremiah. an 'Lijah.
fur q propietl. how the biz mess asoin tor .dsyT
aim good. v. shall hail tstsR four sperm whales.
s On apees an @ the fourth sa Il
be . little cuss, an you won't got more,n ten
Sast the Gf Inst boa. him The
second mattel finish him np'-an' give ON
ss . hr rS s .sSs Az e. o ssysf
P Iy, .out : ianta, an one ssyy, ssys 10:
the tsi ~. says he. fur tho nstrs way among
whslsrs Is to chop : hole in the critters head
wh hs an him HIM : soas head s' timber ys
mind: says +: 6u! iest walt a says I. Tor hsd
hadn't had no %or9 said n when . TIE lookout
Ar : help me, Bob, the fqst boat taekid the
sithsrse MAJ en n then up come the second
constable lengthy tussie. lanced him. an made
hole In his head, an hitched on tackle, an got
more boats, with two more whales. An Just
thon there come on one OF tho darndest
s4anillss eyer did see, let q the fourth boat
the ship right down onter 'em. An the chaps
In the boat, they see that II the ship got by EN-
In that gale twould be the devil TO pay and
small chance to ketch her; an as they hadn,t
no time ter rig up u line in the critters head,
the bowman he jest tuck rope an chucked II
around the whales tail, and made Q blight. an
hauled him longside that way-an' the follers
they all LATED. an lowed that my dream had
bin kerrect In every partic'ler.
Wall, twas In that same v'yae that some
thin more Bing'iarer than anythin else hap
pened ter me-, hadn't bin vary we'll fer SONG
days-hevin' he'd sorter half sunrtroke. !
reckon-an' one Sunday AFTERNOON. II wuE !
lay In ny bunk. the DIX bsip' dead calm an
kinder iiggery, an he'd civ mo some foyer